Social is an important part of what we do here at Folk and you don't really need us to explain why. In an environment that's complicated, constantly evolving and ultimately uncontrollable, an understanding of why people use social media is integral to its successful utilisation by brands. To accompany your tea (or coffee), we thought we'd share some of our insights about how we use Twitter successfully as it seems to be a commonly misused and misunderstood channel of communication.
Twitter is a microblogging platform as Share This contributor, Alex Lacey, explains. Each 140 character message that's sent out into the world should, as far as brands are concerned:
a) Accurately capture the essence of the brand - its tone or 'personality'
b) Offer something relevantly insightful, interesting or inspiring
To successfully intrigue and eventually engage people through Twitter there are a number of tools at our disposal and here are the important ones...
Hashtags
The '#' enables brands to engage with trends and topical subjects and allows people to find the brand through a common interest. You can find some guidance here.
Following Carefully
Reaching the right people is by no means straightforward but following the right people enables a brand to connect with movers and shakers and through them spread interesting content to others. Brands should follow selectively. This function belongs as part of the communication strategy; it shouldn't be an after thought.
Interacting
It's often forgotten that, aside from providing great content, Twitter is social and active engagement with others is a valuable means to position the brand in the minds of consumers. Being responsive demonstrates the brand is considerate and active, and select individuals that are given the opportunity to engage in direct two-way communication with a brand often feel privileged to have done so.
So there you have it, a little insight into how we make the most of Twitter and how you can too.